Baku, Azerbaijan, July 11
By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:
The Turkish Air Force has destroyed 28 strongholds of the PKK terrorists in the framework of the operation carried out in Northern Iraq, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement July 10.
The operation to eliminate the strongholds of the terrorists has been carried out in the areas of Avashin, Baysan and Zap, said the message.
Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Turkish Armed Forces launched a new military operation in northern Iraq.
He added that the Turkish Air Force used 20 aircraft and destroyed 14 PKK bases in northern Iraq.
"Turkey is resolute in the fight against PKK," Erdogan said.
Previous reports said that within the operation against PKK in northern Iraq, the Turkish military moved deep into Iraqi territory by 73 kilometers.
Spokesman and Deputy Chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party of Turkey Mahir Unal had said that the Turkish authorities have repeatedly stated that, a military operation against the PKK militants in the North of Iraq may be started at any moment.
The country’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that Turkey has 11 military bases in northern Iraq, which greatly facilitate the fight against PKK.
The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demands the creation of an independent Kurdish state, has lasted more than 25 years, claiming more than 40,000 lives. The PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by the UN and the EU.
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